South Carolina is not known for a grand football history. Aside from some big wins here and there over the years, the Gamecocks are more known for their loyal fans than their winning football tradition. The one thing South Carolina can hang their hat on is producing talented defensive backs on a regular basis. Being strong at the corner position has been a staple of Gamecock football for many years. Jamarcus King is trying to prove he deserves a mention among those former Gamecock greats in the secondary.
King has been a key in the secondary this year. He is currently sixth on the team in tackles with 36. He leads the team in both interceptions, with 3, and pass break-ups, with 8. King has also forced a fumble and has three tackles for a loss.
Two Seasons Of Despair
The Gamecocks built the success of three straight 11 win seasons on the foundation of a suffocating defense. In Steve Spurrier’s final two seasons, that foundation crumbled. The defense was routinely gashed by opponents. Fans and observers alike complained about the scheme and the effort. The defense was frustrating to understand, and the drop off was sudden and glaring. It was common place to see the Gamecocks defensive backs line up eight to ten yards off the line of scrimmage. Soft coverage even in short yardage situations was common place.
South Carolina was 10-14 over those two lost seasons. They also ranked near the bottom of the SEC in most defensive categories. The soft coverage led to a less aggressive nature surrounding the once fierce Gamecock defense. Allowing opponents to easily eat up yardage, and never stepping up to pressure receivers and shrink passing windows.
The Coach Boom Factor
Coach Will Muschamp has been known as a great defensive mind throughout his coaching career. He is also known for his aggressive, in your face style of defense. His presence alone led fans to believe that there would be marked improvement on that side of the ball. That has proven true through nine games this year. The tackling and effort have both improved. More importantly the attitude of the defense is now that of and aggressive mindset. Nowhere is that more noticeable than in the secondary.
King on the Corner
JaMarcus King arrived at South Carolina after a brief stint at Coffeyville Community College. He was a four star prospect coming out when he committed to South Carolina this past February. King arrived in August for fall camp, and forcing him to be a quick study on the new defense. He quickly established himself as a top option in the secondary.
He earned a starting corner back position for the opener at Vanderbilt, and hasn’t relinquished it since. Listed at 6’1” 170lbs, which is a good height for a defensive back, it was still not clear how he would handle the physicality of the SEC. He has improved as the season has gone on with his tackling and aggressiveness. His strength coming in was his coverage skills. King has not only picked off three passes, but he has also shown the ability to deflect passes before the opponent can haul it in.
King had a five tackle, two interception performance in the upset over Tennessee, earning him SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. His deflection skills were on display against Missouri. Timing the play perfectly and knocking the pass to the ground on three different occasions. Although he is not the biggest cornerback, he uses his length and athleticism very well. Improving on his physicality will continue to be a focus of both King and the coaching staff going forward.
Not a One Man Show
King may be the standout so far in the secondary, he is certainly not doing it alone. Chris Lammons and Rashad Fenton have also shown their mettle this season occupying the corner position for the Gamecocks. Lammons also has three interceptions, tied with King for the team lead. He has also forced a fumble on his one sack this season, and has recovered two more fumbles. Fenton has one interception and four passes broken up on the year. All three players have at least one interception inside the five yard line. Taking the ball away from your opponent is always a big deal, but doing it when they are so close to scoring makes it a bit more special.
Growing and Improving
While Coach Mushcamp will admit his team is not where he ultimately wants them on defense, the results this year are positive. South Carolina has yet to allow a team to top 30 points in a game. This is after allowing right at 30 points per game over the last two seasons. The defense clad in garnet and black has also been very opportunistic, on top of keeping it’s opponents scores down. They have 20 takeaways on the season and lead the SEC in turnover differential at plus nine.
South Carolina’s defensive back tradition is both deep and productive. Ranging from current NFL corners like Stephon Gilmore and Jonathon Joseph, to former stars like Sheldon Brown, Andre Goodman, and Terry Cousin. Jamarcus King is working towards joining these former Gamecocks playing on Sundays. Combined with his knack for playmaking, a continued improvement in physicality and tackling could get him there.
